


Love Forged and Forgiven

by pansexualfandommess (redvelvetrose), SincereJester



Series: Rise of Ben Solo [5]
Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Armitage Hux Has Issues, Armitage Hux Needs A Hug, Ben Solo Needs A Hug, F/M, Force Bond (Star Wars), Force Ghost(s), Force-Sensitive Finn (Star Wars), Kylo Ren and Rey Are Not Related, M/M, Redeemed Ben Solo
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-16
Updated: 2020-02-16
Packaged: 2021-02-28 05:01:28
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,456
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22748230
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/redvelvetrose/pseuds/pansexualfandommess, https://archiveofourown.org/users/SincereJester/pseuds/SincereJester
Summary: Everyone's leaving Ajan Kloss and loose ends need to be tied up.
Relationships: Armitage Hux/Original Female Character(s), Kylo Ren/Rey, Poe Dameron/Finn, Rey & Ben Solo, Rey & Ben Solo | Kylo Ren, Rey/Ben Solo, Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren
Series: Rise of Ben Solo [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1586332
Comments: 3
Kudos: 18





	Love Forged and Forgiven

Finn didn’t move. It was one of those ‘savor it’ moments, and he fully intended to do so. It was still pretty weird, having an extra layer of awareness overlaying the rest of his senses, but it made moments like this extra special, which was nice. It was morning, the humid air still smelling green and fresh, the bedding a comfortable mess beneath him, the sounds of so many unseen creatures—animals, birds, insects…even the other people and droids stirring outside filtering in with the growing daylight. Each of those little flickers of life shone and danced around each other in a kind of metaphysical mobile, if he just stayed still enough. If he concentrated hard enough, he could trace their flight paths, some of them graceful, some tumbling and irregular. He watched the misty connection that joined him to a larger, warm glow beside him and smiled, finally opening his eyes.

Even sleeping, Poe was vibrant and alive, just a barely contained energy. He was…beautiful. Well, Finn felt that about Poe anyway, but in the Force…yeah, that was beyond handsome. Finn smiled a soft smile. At least when Poe was asleep, he looked so peaceful and content, like a child. Not that there was anything child-like about Poe, not at all…Finn’s smile widened, remembering. He had to remind himself it wasn’t a dream. This was life now. 

As if he could sense Finn’s frank admiration, Poe shifted, yawned and stretched, blinking up at Finn. “Hey,” he greeted him with a sleepy voice. 

Finn tried to respond, but his voice gave out. He cleared his throat while nodding. "Hey," he replied, feeling his cheeks heat. "I didn't wake you, did I? I was trying to be still." 

Poe's face melted into a broad grin. "Why be still?" he asked mischievously. "I don't want to be still. C'mere, you!" He reached over, pulling Finn closer. 

"Wha-?" was all Finn managed to get out before finding himself hauled on top of Poe and summarily kissed. He laughed into the kiss and came right back with a few kisses of his own. "You are impossible," he chuckled, nuzzling his face into the crook of Poe's neck. 

"How am I impossible, huh?" Poe teased, turning his head to offer Finn more targets along his pulse points. He wrapped his arms around the other man, pressing them closer. 

"Not even properly awake yet and you're flirting," Finn pointed out, lips against Poe's pulse, fluttering under his touch. 

"Answer the question," Poe growled, grasping at Finn and squirming beneath him. 

"That _was_ the answer to the question!" Finn laughed, rising up on his forearms to look down at Poe indulgently. "You are a piece of work. Luckily for you, I got the time." 

"Not only is that not impossible, I'd say it's highly probable," Poe insisted. "Maybe I always wake up this way, and, yeah, luckily for both of us, we got all the time to find out." He captured Finn's mouth with his own with a fierce kiss, then let go, staring up at Finn with undisguised desire. "This; this is a good way to wake up in the morning." 

"Yeah" Finn agreed somewhat breathlessly, though he was still trying to keep from getting an immediate hard-on from this attention. He wasn't a stranger to sex. Far from it. Despite the First Order's best efforts to suppress any type of sexuality between troopers, it happened with shocking regularity. He'd had lovers in the past, though nothing had ever been as passionate and all-encompassing as what he had with Poe. But he still had the impulse to try to hide his desire even when there was no need for that. 

Poe frowned, concerned, loosening his hold on him. "You okay?" And that was just like Poe; one moment all hot and ready, and just as quickly hyper focused on the smallest shift in emotion in Finn. 

"I'm okay," Finn nodded, briefly touching the ring that now hung from a chain around his neck rather than around Poe's. Shara Dameron's wedding ring. "Just thinking... that... this is all... really new and... really sweet?" The last word came out as a question. 

Poe's expression smoothed out, playing with the chain, too. "Yeah, it is," he agreed gently. "Finn, it's okay to take our time. I know I'm all 'rush right in' most of the time; it can be pretty intense, but I can dial it back, especially with you." 

"I don't want you to dial it back. If we leave it up to me... well, I think you already know that I'm maybe a little too cautious about it. I don't want to mess this up and I... I'm afraid I will without even knowing it." 

He sat up fully, rolling his shoulders to ease some of the tension from them, still, he allowed himself to keep a casual posture. "It's not easy to just throw off First Order training... despite how easy you think I did. I haven't. Not really." 

"I know it hasn't been easy, Finn; probably more than anyone else." Poe tucked one hand behind his head, patting Finn's arm with his other one. "We already took the big risk, so I think we're a bit beyond caution for that. Besides, there's no right or wrong way with this; we just make it up as we go along, so you won't mess up anything." 

Finn nodded, comforted by that at least. "I know. Just promise me that you'll let me know if there's something I can do... better." 

"As if you aren't already the best," Poe remarked. "Okay, okay, I promise to let you know, but I doubt it's gonna be a problem. And you have to promise to tell me to slow down if I go too fast and furious, okay?" 

"Flyboy," Finn grinned. "As if you have any other speed besides fast and furious. That's in your blood, pretty boy." 

"Let me show you my slow burn, babyface." Poe glanced around. "If we have the time, that is? Please tell me we have time to linger." 

Finn grinned, "Yeah, we do," he nodded, lowering himself back down into Poe's arms, pulling the blanket over them. 

**

Harter Kalonia looked up from her data pad, seeing a young, red-haired man loitering about the entrance to her makeshift clinic. "Might I help you?" she asked, gesturing for him to come inside. She knew full well who he was. General Dameron had told her that they were playing host to the defected general. As a Resistance fighter, she was a bit bewildered by the development; but as a doctor, she was determined to treat him just as she would anyone else in her care. "What can I do for you, General?" 

Hux hesitated at being addressed by his former designation. "I'm no longer a general, Doctor," he commented quietly. He was so far out of his comfort zone that he was reverting to his normal precision. It was only his determination to see this through for both his and Seela's sake that had compelled him to march over to her station first thing in the morning, before he lost his nerve. "I don't know if anything can be done, but I was told it would be advisable to bring my problem to your attention. It's, ah, of a personal nature..." _Do they not have a more private space for this?_ he wondered, exasperated. 

The term "personal nature" made her cock her head at him. He was nervous, that much she could see. There were precious few things of a medical nature that she thought might make someone like Hux visibly anxious. "I see. Personal enough for you to be more comfortable behind closed doors, I presume? Come along; the Tantive is still docked and I have a better-equipped lab there." 

"Excellent," Hux replied in his clipped manner. He followed after her stiffly; despite his more casual garments, relaxed hairstyle and the beginnings of a beard, he still carried himself with a military officer's poise, especially if he was anxious. There were a surprisingly large amount of people still milling about, all focused on packing up and leaving; they ignored the doctor and her reluctant patient. 

Once inside, she shut them both in her hospital quarters, dismissing even the droids. "All right, what seems to be your issue? I can only imagine it must be something compelling indeed since you seem to have come to me of your own will." 

"A result of a childhood injury," he blurted out, mostly to start somewhere. "I can't...that is, whenever there's a certain amount of sexual arousal, I, ah...there's immense pain." 

Her expression remained neutral as she looked him up and down. "Ah, I see the problem then. If you wouldn't mind, please undress so I can examine you properly. I won't touch you without informing you first and you are to tell me if you do not wish to be touched. Understood?" The words were clinical, as was needed, but her tone was far gentler. 

He knew it was protocol, but he had been dreading this very thing. It didn't matter whether it was a droid or someone more organic, he loathed physical examinations of any kind. Just recounting what had caused his current predicament was enough to make him feel raw and exposed. Best to just get it over with as quickly as possible, he supposed. "Understood." 

Kalonia handed him a sheet to cover up with before turning her back to get a chart started, giving him a little bit of privacy. "This childhood injury. Accident? Or something deliberate?" Hux was tall, but slender even as an adult. She could only imagine he had been a whisp of a boy. Given the First Order's attitude towards perceived weakness, she felt confident that someone had injured him on purpose; a fellow cadet perhaps or someone higher up. Still, better to ask. 

He glared at her back despite himself. "A misplaced kick," he answered. "But the beating itself was deliberate." He tried to remain distant, objective; but he felt himself slipping back to the event itself. "My father--" 

That gave her a bit of a start, but she recovered quickly as she turned back around. "You needn't go into it, dear. Blunt force trauma can cause significant swelling after the fact. Am I correct in assuming that the immediate treatment probably focused more on bladder control and the damage to the adjacent tissue was not discovered until puberty?" 

Hux drew a deep breath, steadying himself. "There was significant delay in getting treatment, initially, but yes, the focus was on the former. The other only became evident later." 

That confirmed her suspicions. "All right, just hold still for a moment, dear," she said, using a handheld scanner instead of summoning one of her droids. Her hands were warm even through the gloves and she was very gentle whenever she had to touch him. True to her word, she warned him beforehand and explained everything she was doing. Quick eyes looked over the results from her scanner. "You seem to be in excellent health otherwise. The surgery done to repair your urethra was done very close to the prostate. The scarring from that is pinning the vas deferens, not allowing it to stretch to accommodate a full erection. The nerves there are, of course, incredibly sensitive. Were this kind of scarring anywhere else in your body, it might be bothersome, but not debilitating. However, in your case, it's preventing you from having healthy sexual function." 

Hux nodded. Nothing she had said was news to him; it merely confirmed what he already knew. Until now it had been manageable; sexual performance was not a top priority for him in his previous existence, and he had ample reason to have kept it a secret. 

"From what I can tell, if we were to use some very precise laser surgery to repair the scars and release the stricture, the tissue would relax and allow you reach full arousal and completion without pain. Your ability to sire children shouldn't be impacted at all since there doesn't seem to have been any damage to the seminal vesicles or the prostate itself in the first place." She turned the datapad around to show him the holo, pointing out where the scarring was and where it was causing the problem. 

"But there's also a risk of complications and potential negative side effects, including permanent ones," Hux argued. "Given my history of other traumas, that likelihood is rather high, and one of the reasons I hadn't pursued this course of action before." He got dressed, smoothing his clothes with his hands out of habit. "The primary reason for seeking a consultation was more due to a change in my circumstances rather than any real hope of a new diagnosis. I appreciate you taking the time, however, especially today." 

"I always have time for my patients," she responded, looking at him with raised eyebrows. "However, I should like to correct you on a few things. As I said previously, aside from this issue, you are in perfect health. There's nothing to suggest that any resultant scarring will be hypertrophic in nature, certainly not to the degree of impacting your function. You may have had access to First Order medical facilities, but they were likely geared only towards your functionality as an officer, not your functionality as a man. No doubt they had little interest in even programming the droids for this kind of procedure." She looked over the scans again, nodding to herself. "It's a relatively simple procedure. Recovery time will be minimal, a few days for everything to heal. Risk would be minimal as well. Not absent, of course. No surgery is without risk. But the risk is as low as it can be. I can perform it before the Tantive leaves if you're serious about it." 

Hux went even paler. "You mean, today? Now?" 

"Not right this very second. I imagine you'll want to go over it with Seela and make a decision then," she replied, the hint of a smile on her lips. A hint turned into a full smile when he blushed hotly. "I'm not blind or stupid, dear. It's obvious to anyone with eyes that you and she are an item." 

Hux wondered why referring to his growing relationship with the Twi'lek bothered him, but didn't focus on it. "Well, yes, of course we'll want to discuss it first. There are practicalities to consider, arrangements..." He clenched his jaw, anxious. "It's a not a small decision, especially now, in my current position.” Forcing himself to relax, he cleared his throat. "I'd very much appreciate any data you could provide me about the procedure. To make a fully informed decision, of course." 

"Naturally," she nodded, picking up another datapad and handing it to him. "All of the information is here, if you have any questions or concerns, Seela knows how to contact me." 

Taking his leave of the doctor, Hux exited the Tantive IV in a pensive mood, intent on finding Seela to have a very extensive discussion. Time was of the essence, of course, but he felt almost breathless at how quickly things were progressing. He was utterly oblivious to his surroundings; he had left Seela at the materials depot to monitor the offloading of the last of their supplies. Although the majority of the base's occupants had already left, there were still quite a few stragglers finishing their final tasks before departure time, when Ajan Kloss would be officially closed off. The cavern seemed filled with more echoes with the smaller number of people, all the noises amplified in the emptying space. 

Rose was striding quickly along, staring at the datapad in her hand and typing on it obsessively. As such, she was also not quite looking where she was going and ended up accidentally shoulder checking the tall man with her head. "Ow!" she exclaimed, more from surprised than actual pain. "Kriff, watch where you're going-" she began though she stopped short when she looked up and saw his very unwelcome face. 

"You," she hissed with narrowed eyes, recoiling slightly as though she'd just seen a particularly gross meetle. "What are you still doing here?" 

Startled out of his own reverie, Hux had begun to apologize but froze under the furious disgust of Rose Tico. This was precisely one of his greatest fears, occurring at one of the worst possible moments. "Actually, I was just leaving." 

"Scurrying off with your tail between your legs. Sounds about right," she snorted in a very unladylike, but very appropriate manner. "You ever going to fess up to what you did? Own it? Or are you going to insist it was 'just orders' and 'not personal'?" 

"I wouldn't even try to excuse or deny what I've done, least of all to you," Hux snapped in his defense. 

That seemed to take her aback, though she was far from convinced. "That doesn't make up for it, you know. People died because of you. People like my sister. My parents. You can't bring them back." 

"No, I can't," Hux retorted. "Nor can you bring back any of the thousands that have fallen, in too many battles, in wars that went on for far too long, fought by too many for the selfish benefit of far too few. It was war! They are dead and we are not; we are alive. We are still here; even after all we did; what I did! I will have to live with the memory of that for the rest of my life!" 

He had no idea where any of that had come from or how he’d managed to sum it all up as neatly as he had. More to the point, he had no idea why crashing into Rose Tico, of all people, had prompted it. Yes, he’d had a bit of a melt-down in front of Seela, but that was different. He trusted Seela. He was relatively certain that Tico would happily spit-roast him and feed him to that Wookie if she was given half a chance. 

Rose opened her mouth, but nothing came out. She'd expected anger on his part, but not at himself. She never in a million years thought she would hear Armitage Hux espouse the very sentiments she'd come to her own conclusions on. "So," she said, expression cold, "You finally grew a conscience. Good. It'll make you far more miserable than I ever could. Knowing all of those people are gone and the survivors may well come gunning for you. I hope you have a very long life, general." 

"I'm no longer a general," Hux muttered as Rose stomped away. At least their confrontation had been a verbal one, but it did remind him that without any form of centralized galactic government, anarchy would likely reign for some time. There were plenty of beings that would relish putting a price on his head, and no lack of criminals and mercenaries willing to collect on it. All the more reason to find Seela and leave Ajan Kloss as soon as possible. 

Having finished her project for the time being, Seela had wandered off in search of Poe, still trying to track down her missing X-Wing pieces and BB unit casings. She quickly found him and Finn talking over a datapad, apparently talking over the logistics of leaving Ajan Kloss. 

"Excuse me, general?" she asked. 

"Yes?" both men looked up at her. 

"Oh! Right, you're both generals. General Dameron." 

"Yes?" they both replied in unison again, both grinning. 

Seela blinked and glanced at Finn's neck, where she could see a thin chain fed through a ring. A ring that, until recently, had always hung around Poe's neck. "Ah, I see. Congratulations! But I need to talk to General POE Dameron. Sorry Finn." 

Finn shrugged. "No problem," he replied, then to Poe: "Catch you in a bit; remember, we've got a launch time soon." 

"Did you nick some parts from a pallet?" she asked Poe, showing him the highlighted lines on her datapad. While he checked them off, she saw Armitage heading their way. She smiled and waved him over, standing on her toes to press a quick kiss to his cheek. "I'm almost done here" she assured him, seeing that he was agitated. 

"There's time," Hux assured her, lingering a short distance away. 

Poe handed back the data pad. "Sorry about the mix-up; I thought I had sent the supply release over with BB-8," he apologized sheepishly. 

"No worries. All good now. Let me know if you or Finn need any supply packs before you leave." She took her datapad back and turned back to Armitage, reaching out to take his hand. Together, they headed back to their alcove, which she had increasingly thought of as their sanctuary in the midst of the general chaos of the base. 

With all of their items packed away for the departure, the alcove seemed all the more sparse. Seela set down the soft-sided bag she had slung over her shoulder, and Millicent strolled out, stretching. 

"So... what did Kalonia say?" she asked once Hux had shut the door behind him. He didn't look particularly happy, but she wasn't sure if that meant the news was good or bad. 

Hux handed her the data pad that Kalonia had provided. "She has full confidence that the procedure is not only possible but would be successful, with minimum risk and recovery." 

She looked it over, scrolling through the information. "That's good, right?" she asked, looking up at him. "Are you... having second thoughts, freykaa?" 

"Not about this," he assured her. "Not precisely. Dr. Kalonia said she could even do it today, before we leave, but...I'm not sure that's ideal. There will be some necessary recovery time, and if there's any complications...." 

"Well, she's leaving on the Tantive. Since we don't have a transport of our own, I was going to see if you and I could hitch a ride with one of the others. Poeand his crew are taking the Tantive and Kalonia is going with them before she heads back to Chandrilla. If we go with them too, then you can easily be monitored by her afterwards as well," she suggested. "It'll take some time for me to track down my parents so we can rendezvous with them. They bounce around so much. Niner can pilot my X-Wing alongside." 

"Yes, of course all of that is doable," Hux agreed. "But it's a lot to put on you, Seela. I will be quite vulnerable afterward; it could take some time to fully recover. I just question if now's the best time." 

"We're always going to be vulnerable in some way, freykaa," she pointed out gently, reaching out to smooth his hair back. "I figure it's the best time to do it since we'll have the doctor there to help if any complications come up post-surgery." 

"Which is quite reasonable, when you put it that way." Hux sighed. Uncertainty about his future - their future, he reminded himself - still made him have his doubts. 

"It's up to you, freykaa. I'll be with you regardless of what you do in this matter. I can't make the choice for you." She leaned closer, pulling him towards her until their foreheads met. "If you opt to go through with it, I will look after you while you recover, I promise." 

"You are wonderful, Seela..." It was still disconcerting to him to have someone care for him for no other reason than their innate compassion. He was unaccustomed to trusting such altruism, and he valued her patience with him, for so many things. It was that more than anything else that strengthened his resolve to see this through, come what may. "Let's go make the arrangements, then." 

**

Wandering around the clearing, Ben stooped and brushed away some of the debris. Wood shards and shattered stones shifted in small cascades, pushed aside by an invisible hand far more gently than how they had fallen into that position. He wasn’t looking for anything specific, just shifting through it as he did the same with his memories. 

Hindsight brought a certain detachment; it was almost as if what had happened here had been with other people. From a certain point of view, perhaps that was true. He had been different, and all he had known about his loved ones, his family, had been overshadowed with lies and secrets since before he was born. He was just beginning to sort through it all, form some kind of cohesive narrative. He ached to have some clearer identity, to just understand where he fit into all of this. He thought he had known that more than once in the past, and resented and fought against each of them, only to arrive back here, still raw and unsure. 

He closed his eyes and breathed deep. This place! Ajan Kloss was so tied to his life, from before it had really started to the present moment. He was glad that it would be allowed its undisturbed tranquility soon, and he was especially glad that it would not become a shrine or memorial. As soon as the Resistance fighters left, the verdant little moon would be left to its own quiet existence, strong in the living Force but left alone by the cosmic Force, in a serene balance. As it should be. 

A whisper of a voice: “Ben…” Shimmering around the outskirts of the clearing, a pale and flickering figure walked, almost as steady in her presence as a living person. Leia smiled and beckoned her son closer, waiting for him to come to her side. "There's my boy," she said when he was before her. "You've had a rough time of it, to put it mildly." 

“…. Mother,” Ben whispered. He had so many questions. There was so much to say that he hadn’t been able to before; regrets, explanations, and yes, even accusations. So much unresolved! He wanted to confront her; he wanted to collapse against her and burst into tears... he wanted to feel her again, really feel her embrace and hear her heartbeat, and he knew he wouldn't, couldn't, have that anymore. He hesitated, not wanting to lose even this shadow of communication with his mother. 

"It's okay, Ben... I know there's a lot to say," she assured him, reaching out to touch his shoulder. Although she looked somewhat incorporeal, the touch was solid. "Go ahead. I'm listening." 

"I...I'm sorry," Ben stammered, and tears did indeed begin. "I didn't...I'm so sorry..." The sobs overcame him for long moments, wordless heaves of emotion. "I miss you so much..." 

She let him cry, pulling closer and stroking his hair back, the way she so often had when he was small. 

He still clung to her, nestled within her shimmering presence. The sadness and grief waned, the tears drying, bringing a new level of steady relief. His thoughts were still racing, a jumble that demanded his attention, but for that fleeting moment he just wanted forgiveness, understanding, compassion... He wanted to be her son, and she to be his mother, and nothing more. 

She understood without him needing to say a word. "Oh, sweetheart. I never lost faith in you. I was tired of hearing that I was wrong for it, so I stopped telling anyone. But in my heart, I knew you would come back. That you would find the strength to come back." 

"You gave me that strength," Ben answered. "I didn't find it; I didn't have it. You had to give it to me." He rubbed away the remaining traces from his face, looking at her intently. "Did you know from the start, that you'd need to?" 

"No. Not exactly. I had a vision, but you know as well as I do how subjective and misleading visions can be," she shook her head. "When I felt your pain... that's when it became clear what I needed to give you. I gave you life... twice over. I consider that an honor. I couldn't do it for Rey or your father. But I could for you. And by extension, you were able to do it for Rey. You finished what my father and your grandfather started." 

Ben shook his head, not fully comprehending. "You were the first to sense him; for a long time, you were the only one who believed me. Dad, I can understand; he wasn't like us, not that way, but...why? Why didn't you..." His voice broke, trailing off. He stared at the ruins around them, remembering everything. "I don't understand." 

"Palpatine manipulated all of us. Me. You. Luke. Everyone. For the longest time, I only knew as far as Snoke. I had no idea it was Palpatine pulling his strings." She held him tightly. "I had no idea how to help you at the time. I thought it was something only Luke could do. Your father hadn't wanted to send you to Luke. He thought maybe if we didn't acknowledge it, then it wouldn't grow." 

"Until it was undeniable," Ben said sadly. "I could see it in your eyes. You were afraid for me, but you were also afraid of me. I just didn't know why; where that fear came from. I thought I was just... a monster." He sighed. "You were stronger in the Force than even Uncle Luke. You should have completed your Jedi training, became a master. But you didn't, because of me." 

"Not because of you," Leia retorted. "Because of me, my fears." 

"Luke had confronted the Emperor, and Darth Vader; he was able to see the good in our father and brought him back." Leia pulled back, holding Ben's arms. "I never saw that return, Ben. I couldn't see Anakin Skywalker in the creature that had caused so much pain and suffering to so many, including myself. But the truth of it was undeniable: Anakin Skywalker was our father. I searched for some part of him within me, I wanted to believe what Luke told me, but... I couldn't see it. All I found was the Dark Side. All I saw was Vader. 

"Luke kept telling me that we contained both, the Light and the Dark, in equal parts, and that I'd learn to master it as he had. But in order to do so, I'd have to lose everything else I had ever done, and your father, and... you. 

She took a deep breath. "I needed a family, Ben. I needed to just live. So, after Luke had taught me all the Jedi 'tricks', after I built my lightsaber and became a Jedi knight, I swore him to secrecy and walked away. And I never regretted that decision, not once." 

"Then why didn't you tell me?" Ben cried. "Why weren't you there?" 

"Because I was afraid, Ben. Not of your darkness, but of its source. Palpatine was dead, the Sith were gone. Snoke was just a suspicion, a dark shadow in the Unknowns, and the First Order was just a rumor being labeled as paranoia by a Republic that wanted to forget the past and deny its own corruption. You were our son; an innocent child, Ben! And it was clear to me, even from the beginning, that personally I couldn't shield you from what you inherited from me, not fully. You had to fight the same inner conflict that Luke and I faced, but yours was...exceptionally stronger. Luke was the last Jedi, the only master left, Ben; and the one who redeemed our father from the Dark Side. Luke was the light to my darkness, and he agreed to save you from the same fate, so...I trusted him, and hoped my vision wouldn't ever come to pass." 

"What was your vision?" Ben asked, curious. 

"That I would surpass my teacher and become a Jedi Master, and fulfill the Skywalker legacy...and when I did, my son would die." 

"That was just lies!" Ben growled. "Fed to you by Snoke and Sidious, to turn you against me!" 

Leia shook her head. "No, the vision was true. I knew it was because I'd only become a master by facing the truth: that I was Anakin Skywalker's daughter, and I would have the power to do what he had desired more than anything to do. I'd be able to resurrect the dead. The cure before the sickness, you see? Every Jedi has the potential to Force heal, but to have enough strength in the Force to reverse death; that was rare." 

"But Anakin couldn't do that," Ben pointed out. "Even as the Jedi Chosen One, he wasn't able to save the ones he loved from death. That was how he fell under the sway of the Emperor in the first place." 

"He couldn't do it not because he lacked the strength as a Jedi, but because he was too possessive. He was too attached, Ben. His obsession wouldn't allow for the sacrifice required. The Force always seeks a balance, Ben. And there were very few even capable of wielding such power: Anakin was created by the Force itself, beginning our Skywalker bloodline, and the other..." 

"...was Palpatine," Ben finished with a growing understanding. "Who was in actuality Darth Sidious, a Sith lord, and unfortunately still alive, just barely." 

Leia nodded, then asked, "Ben, what do you remember about going away with Luke for training?" 

Ben frowned, recalling the moment. "At first I was excited," he recounted. "Relieved, probably...and nervous. And then, I felt sad and... angry." He looked up at his ghostly mother. "I heard you and Dad, arguing. He didn't want me to go with Luke, but you did. You convinced him; said I was already out of control; that it would only get worse. I thought...you just wanted to get rid of me. That I was a problem that you hoped Luke could fix, or a monster that you hoped would disappear and forget about. Every time you looked at me, it was like I was this evil thing that frightened you. I could smell your fear. I kept hearing voices in my head, and I tried to tell you, but you were so scared. I felt...alone. So lonely, like no-one was on my side...and there was something else; an emptiness inside, like I was missing a part. It felt like, if I looked in a mirror, there'd be no reflection, or that it was hiding." 

"Luke took you as a student when you were ten years old," Leia reminded Ben. "Luke said he had felt a disturbance in the Force, a new evil rising; that the Force was unbalanced for the first time in a decade. You couldn't sleep; you'd have these outbursts...You kept staring at nothing, like you were looking for something, or straining to hear something no one else could. We both suspected that someone or something external was influencing you somehow, but that year, it was more pronounced. Luke was finally convinced that it was time for him to start your training, if only to monitor the threat." 

Ben's eyes widened in sudden realization. "It was Rey," he exclaimed. "That's what – who - we sensed; it was Rey!" 

"Yes, I believe so," Leia confirmed. "We knew nothing of her existence, or of the nature of your connection to her, of course. To Luke, it felt familiar in a different way: it was the Sith." 

"More precisely, it was another Palpatine, one that was strong in the Force." Ben gulped. "And connected to me." 

She nodded. "So many things now make sense in retrospect, but at the time..." she spread her hands in a somewhat helpless gesture. "You felt her being born, coming into existence. You felt her connection to you from the very beginning. Her legacy as a Palpatine was strong, strong enough to call to you. It's almost like you and she traded your natures back and forth between Light and Dark. You went to the Dark, seeking the belonging we had foolishly not given you, because you thought you would find her there. She went to the Light, seeking the truth and love that had been stolen from her when her parents were killed. Only together could you two balance each other and thus the Force as a whole." 

"And only after she confronted her own dark side and legacy, accepted the truth of her own family. I saw that on Pasaana. Also after Rey, a Palpatine trained by Skywalkers, killed Kylo Ren and broke Sidious' hold on me...and you welcomed me back. You fulfilled your vision, gave me your life. Once I understood that we both needed to confront Sidious together, as a Force Dyad, I joined her on Exegol, but I couldn't defend either of us from Sidious draining our life forces. Only Rey had the ability to avoid his possession of her, to destroy him by turning their shared power back on him: healing and draining, life and death, canceling each other out...but she sacrificed herself to do it, just as you sacrificed your own for me, after the Emperor cast me away. But we're a Dyad, Rey and I; I could share that lifeforce with her, balance it between us. I could save her from death without dying myself...because of you." 

"Because we're Skywalkers, Ben. Rey might have been born a Palpatine, but she died on Exegol as completely as Kylo Ren died on Kef Bir. The Force that had literally created Anakin Skywalker, which he passed down to Luke and I, passed to you...and to Rey. She's as much a Skywalker now as you are." Leia smiled. "And that's good, Ben. It was meant to be this way. Thus, my vision came true. You died when I became a master. What I didn't foresee was that I would become a master by passing my life force on to you. To save you and to save Rey." 

"To save all of us." Ben scanned the surrounding area with a new perspective. "There's balance in the Force once again, thanks to you and all the others." 

"That's the way of the Force, Ben. We are one with the Force, and the Force is with us. Always." Leia brushed his cheek tenderly, as she began to fade into the misty, verdant air. "Luke was right about that, you know. No-one is ever really gone. We will always be with you." 

**

Rey was dozing in their quarters on the Falcon, one arm curled under her head as she laid on her side. She woke when Artoo beeped softly from the hallway, peeking in curiously. 

She yawned and stretched. "All right, I'm up. I know there's a lot to do." This was their last day on Ajan Kloss and she had promised quite a few people to say goodbye before they left. She also had to make sure they had enough supplies and spare parts on board the Falcon before they too left. A quick cup of caf and she was on her way. 

"Miss Rey!" a familiar voice called her and she turned to find Beaumont Kin hustling towards her. "I have to ask. Everyone's packing up today. And I really need to... you know, to interview you and Mr. Solo-" 

"Breathe?" she suggested helpfully. "I've got a lot on my plate today. But I think Ben's off in the clearing. Maybe you can catch him," she offered. 

"Ah," said the sandy-haired, bearded fellow, peering beyond the landing area as if he could spot Ben from there. Beaumont was the probably the most knowledgeable historian in the galaxy; he was particularly interested in researching lost information on the Jedi and Sith. His academic background had been invaluable to Rey as she attempted to decipher the sacred Jedi texts from Ahch-To, and he had been beyond excited with the discovery of the Sith wayfinder. Being a witness to the very history that he had spent his life researching had whipped him into a frenzy of archiving. In particular, he wanted the full account of what had happened between Palpatine and Rey, and Ben and the Knights of Ren. "You see, there's just so much to record before the evacuation. Both of your accounts of what happened on Exegol are vitally important for historical accuracy; I'd hate to lose the opportunity." 

"We're not disappearing into the ether, Beaumont. We'll be in contact. You know how to com the Falcon, right?" she reminded him. "But check with Ben. So far as I know, he's just going to be working on the Falcon before we go. And please don't miss your transport off!" 

Beaumont flashed a lop-sided smile. "I won't. Too bad there's only one of me, though; there's so many places to be right now! " 

"Don't I know it," she smiled at him. "I'll touch base with you before we leave if I have time, okay?" With a nod, she ran off to find Poe and Finn. Luckily, they were in what remained of the mess, along with Rose, Connix, Seela, and Jannah. 

"Hey all. Is everyone sorted as far as their destinations and all?" she asked, sitting down with them. Out of habit, everyone pushed a bit of their own breakfasts in her direction. They’d all gotten used to making sure that Rey had at least a little bit of everything since she often had no idea what to pick. 

Nodding, each chimed in with their plans: most of them were stopping at Exegol, where there was a great deal of activity being done with salvaging information and materials, in addition to policing the traffic in the area. Poe was already setting up a loose network of pilots to monitor it, and Connix was working with Rose on establishing a galactic communications array. The Tantive would begin a systems tour to help with that effort, with Finn and Lando overseeing the overall project, while conducting 'a more personal mission' with Jannah on the side. Seela mentioned something about shipping out on the Tantive IV temporarily, to attend to some personal business and reconnect with family and her home world. 

It was heartwarming to see them all so hopeful. It was the start of building a new life for everyone, and Rey knew that all across the galaxy, people everywhere were doing the same thing. Poe had always been cocky, but now his confidence was tempered with a certain gravitas: he would make a great leader, and judging by the way he looked at Finn, an equally great husband. Finn had also settled into a quiet maturity, although his enthusiasm was still just as intense as ever; Rey could feel him tapping into the Force and listening to it, letting it help and guide him. Jannah matched them both in her leadership ability, which would translate well as it expanded beyond her role on Kef Bir to larger groups of people. Rose and Connix were brilliant in their innovations and tireless drive to execute them; much of the new galactic infrastructure would be due to their vision and efforts, Rey was certain, as well as inspiration for so many more. 

"Ben and I will probably get to Exegol eventually, but I think we're heading to Tatooine first," she explained to them. "We have some loose ends to tie up, shouldn't take long." She took a bite of one of the pastries Finn had given her, chewing thoughtfully. Barely managing to remember to swallow before speaking, she looked around at everyone. "All of you know how to contact the Falcon right? I want to make sure all of you can contact us if you need to." 

"You're kidding, right?" Rose laughed. "The Falcon is the one ship in the galaxy we'll never lose touch with." 

"Just want to make sure! I'd hate to miss those late-night gossip fests with all of you," Rey laughed, fondly remembering all of the times over the past year that she and her friends had holed up inside of the Falcon, laying or sitting on any available surface laughing at anything and everything. 

Finn looked solemn. "You have a point, Rey," he said. He scanned the little group. "We're all scattering to the winds, and we're going to be busy for a long time, I think. We need to stay in touch." 

Comlink codes were swiftly passed around so everyone knew how to reach everyone else. Rey gave everyone a quick kiss on the cheek, though she took a moment to said goodbye to Finn especially. "Are you going to be OK, Finn? With your new abilities and all? How are things working out so far?" 

"Keeps getting better and better," Finn replied. "It's like seeing color for the first time, I guess, or turning on the light in a dark room. Everything was already there; I just didn't see it as clearly before. And there's Poe..." He trailed off with a smile. 

She grinned at him. "I'm glad you two finally stopped mindlessly flirting and decided to act on it!" she exclaimed, pulling him into a tight hug. "You take care of each other, okay? Don't make me track you guys down just to pull a little Jedi mind trick on you both.” 

"You wouldn't!" Finn exclaimed. "No, really, you wouldn't...would you?" 

"Even if I did, it wouldn't work," she laughed. "Mind tricks like that only work on the weak-willed. You and Poe are definitely not weak-willed. Oblivious and ridiculous, yes; but not weak-willed." 

Finn smiled broadly. "Not at all." He pulled back, still hugging her. "May the Force be with you," he intoned. 

“And with you,” she responded, giving him a kiss on his cheek. 

Satisfied that she and her friends were all going to remain in contact, she set off for the supply depot to collect anything they might need for the Falcon. Spare parts were always a good thing to have on hand with a ship as battered as the Falcon. Between her, Ben, and Chewie, they could fix just about anything on the fly. 

Ben appeared, striding up the landing ramp into the Falcon's interior. He looked pensive. "Ready to get going?" he asked when he saw Rey. 

"Yes. Chewie and the droids on board already?" she asked, heading up the ramp, pushing the last of their supply pods on. "How long will it take for us to get to Tatooine? Enough time for a little...?" she drifted off, raising her eyebrows at him suggestively. 

Ben smiled, shrugging. "A little...maybe," he answered. "But...caf first. And hyperspace. Then naptime." He squeezed her hand as he passed her to the kitchen counter, fetching a mug. Wordlessly he gestured with the mug toward her, offering to pour her one. 

She smirked at him, knowing full well that a nap was likely the last thing on his mind. "So, I finally get to see you fly the Falcon, hmm? This should be fun. I hope Artoo is recording it for posterity." 

"Artoo records everything for posterity; didn't you know?" Ben turned with a nod and grabbed another mug, filling both with caf. Crossing the room, he offered one to her and took a long sip from his own. 

"I did, actually. I've been having a wonderful time parsing through his records for fun tidbits of information," she smiled, taking the caf and sipping it. She'd rarely ever had caf on Jakku, but had developed quite a taste for it in the past year. She took his free hand, pulling him towards the cockpit. "C'mon, flyboy. Show me these alleged flying skills of yours." 

"Make sure everyone's onboard first," Ben protested. "You know, you've piloted the Falcon more recently than I; maybe you and Chewie should just--" 

She smirked at him, "What's this? Are you afraid to fly the Millennium Falcon?" She patted the back of the pilot's seat. "Come on. You can take her up, Solo." 

Ben sighed, shaking his head as he slid into the pilot seat. "You're sure everything's onboard? Said your farewells to everyone?" he asked. 

"I'm sure. Everyone knows how to contact us if they need us. I know how to get ahold of them too." She picked up the comlink, speaking into it. "Chewie, you and droids all set? We're ready to take off." The Wookie's voice came back in the affirmative along with the various beeps of the droids and Threepio's background warbling about hating space travel. 

Ben's hands flew over the controls with an easy familiarity, drawing up the ramp, signaling their departure, and starting the liftoff sequence seamlessly. If he felt any discomfort being in his father's chair, he didn't show it. 

Rey fell into the copilot's tasks easily, having traded off with Chewie more than a few times. She punched in the coordinates for Tatooine while they eased out of Ajan Kloss' atmosphere. "Ready for lightspeed when you are." 

With a soft smile, Ben reached for the hyperspace levers as Rey did the same, and together they eased them forward. The pinpoints of the starfield outside the cockpit's viewport stretched and streaked into bright streamers of light, and the ship punched forward with sudden acceleration. 

Rey set the ship to autopilot, knowing the Falcon would alert them once they were getting close to Tatooine. "Now... about that 'nap'," she smirked at Ben, standing and tugging at his shoulder. 

Seated on the bench behind the chessboard, Threepio tracked Rey and Ben as they passed through to their quarters. "Their travails on Exegol must have been extensive," he observed, commenting to Artoo. "Ever since the battle, they seem to require many more frequent naps." 

Artoo made a chuckling burble, followed by a rude noise. Chewie, working on yet another patch of exposed wiring, chimed in with his own woofing comment. 

"Well, that is just rude," Threepio responded. "I think I'll power down for a while, if that's how you're going to talk." 

Rey giggled as she hurried into their quarters, shutting the doors behind them and clicking the lock. "I think they're on to us, love," she said, turning towards Ben and curling her arms behind his head. 

"We've got nothing to hide," Ben replied, lifting her up and wrapping her legs around him. He showered her with kisses, walking them to the bed. Rather than their frantic passions of before, there was a graceful ease in their motions as they began to work in tandem, comfortable and unrushed. 

She ran her hands over his shoulders and arms, slowly pulling off his shirt so she could feel his skin. All of his scars, save those that he had acquired on Exegol, were gone, presenting her with a smooth, warm expanse of skin. She stroked his back, up and down the long muscles of his back. "You're beautiful" she whispered, looking up at his handsome face. 

"So are you," he whispered back, urging her up from the bed where he had placed her to remove their clothes. He moved back up beside her, letting her trail her hands along his bare back again. His eyes had the amazing way of shifting to a gentle softness, drinking her in, and his smile was so utterly bright and free. 

Though the air was cool against her skin, a by-product of having spent so much time on a hot planet, Rey's shivers were not from cold. She murmured his name softly, pressing soft kisses to his neck and shoulders. She could feel his heartbeat gathering speed under her fingertips and smiled, pleased to know she could affect him this way so easily. A low groan vibrated through his chest, making her own pulse jump. Ben's voice was always so soft and gentle, to hear it in pleasure was amazing. 

Ben rolled onto his back, relishing her exploration of his skin, the lightning streaks of pleasure that shot through him from her fingertips and lips. He pulled her closer over him, hands stroking over her face, neck, shoulders, arms, toward her breasts...It was a smooth, graceful dance, with their physical forms the only barrier between them. 

Fingers splayed wide, she drew her hands over his chest, relishing the physical strength of him. She bent down, pressing soft, open-mouthed kisses to his skin, tongue sneaking out to lick at his skin. His breathing hitched and she could feel him trying to rein himself him. "Don't hold back," she whispered to him. "I want to hear you, Ben." 

Ben gave a rumbling groan in response. Grasping her hips, he urged her to fully straddle him. He stared up at her with fevered want. "Please..." he whimpered. "Please, Rey, please..." 

His gentle pleading made her smile. Arching her back, she gently pressed herself against him, but kept her hips from meeting his, teasing him lightly. "Please what, my love? What is it you want?" she asked coyly, rising up on her arms. A little shifting and his cock pressed along her folds, already slick with want. She rocked her hips, the motion making that soaked flesh rub along his shaft without allowing him to thrust up inside of her yet. 

Ben writhed beneath her, fingers gripping into her thighs. "Let me in," he begged. "I want to...join with you..." He hissed, a sharp intake of breath as she stroked against him again. "R-Rey...please...!" 

She captured his mouth in a hard, hungry kiss, reaching down to guide him into her. The first thrust nearly made her see stars. The aching stretch around him, how deeply he pierced her in one stroke, stole her breath. She pulled back, sitting upright on him, her weight driving him deeper. "Fuck... Ben..." she whispered in a trembling voice. 

Taking her exclamation as a command, Ben gave a stifled roar and began to piston with an increasing intensity. One of his hands slipped between them, thumb pressing and rubbing against her apex; his other hand caressing the small of her back to steady her. The hum of metaphysical energy wove around them in a luminous, golden net, growing brighter with each motion. 

She rode him hard, panting and moaning with each strong thrust. Still, her position meant that she had nothing to grab onto; out of desperation she braced her hands against the alcove's ceiling above her head. Luckily, there was enough room for this stretch to be comfortable. She was able to use the leverage to roll her hips downward and meet his thrusts. Unknowingly, it also made her arch so that her breasts were pushed forward, bouncing with each movement. 

Ben was grunting and shaking like an animal, eagerly watching her dance around him. He felt the incandescent climax racing toward them, and he surrendered to the tidal rush with a long, wordless moan. 

That same energy snaked up her spine, a twisting ball of pleasure writhing low in her belly. She could feel her insides clench hard around Ben, wringing every bit of pleasure from both of them. She cried out his name, back arching sharply so that she had to use his bent legs for support. She could feel everything, the heat of him, their synchronized pulses, how she throbbed around him, the vibrancy of his life flowing into her and her own to meet it. 

The unique melding of their energy wound around them, binding them together in a continuous, blending swirl of their essence, shared soul and combined bodies. Ben collapsed into the bedding like a marooned sailor tossed ashore from a roiling storm at sea, gasping and smiling from sheer bliss. His hand flopped out from between them, limp, while his other slid up her back, urging her to rest against him as he gently rocked her in the fading glow. 

Rey clung to him tightly, face buried in the crook of his neck. She trembled, still moaning softly as aftershocks of pleasure shot through her. Even softening, his sex remained lodged inside of her, their position keeping him in place. She could still feel warmth spreading through her in waves, making her acutely aware of their physical bodies. 

Ben rested his chin on her head as she nuzzled his neck. "I love you," he murmured. Returning to their separate bodies didn't feel like a retreat; it felt more like ocean eddies, the withdrawal of the tides to the depths of future promised connections. 

"I love you too," she responded, her voice muffled against his skin. "Just... hold me a bit longer. I don't want to let go yet." She held him tighter, one hand straying into his hair. 

Ben closed his eyes, drowsy and content. "I'll never let you go, sweetheart."


End file.
